


Because that is how life is - full of surprises.

by SarahJStar



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: F/M, Stake out make out, smuttyness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-19
Updated: 2014-09-12
Packaged: 2018-01-13 02:31:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1209472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahJStar/pseuds/SarahJStar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nell and Callen are on a stake out and playfully argue over a Tootsie pop. Happy surprises ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I won it fair and square, Callen. Gimme.” Nell said make grabby hands at the cherry Tootsie Pop he held in his hand.

“Best three out of five.” He countered, still not relinquishing his grip on the candy. He smirked rakishly to try and sway her with his charms, but Nell was having none of it and shook her head, ‘no’.

“No.” She reiterated, with a small smile at his subtle flirting “We went from best of one, to best two out of three and I’ve won every single game of Roshambo. That,” she said, gesturing to the last remaining sucker they had in the car “is mine. Now stop being such a sore loser and hand it over.” When he just narrowed his eyes at her, smirk still very much in place, she narrowed hers right back. “am I going to have to tell Sam you’re being a problem partner? He did tell me to tell him if you started acting up.” Nell asked tilting her head and pursing her mouth with a smile. 

Callen’s eyes flitted down to her lips at the movement, his smirk lessening to something a little more intimate. ‘Interesting’ Nell thought briefly, as her mind took her in an interesting direction. Plan forming, she decided to go for it. What was a little harmless flirting between co-workers? And seems as he had been engaging in said flirting periodically throughout the ridiculously long stake out; with little touches and suggestive comments, she thought he may be receptive; turnabout was fair play, after all. 

Nell let her tongue dart out and wet her lips, before dragging the bottom one slowly between her teeth and letting it go with a seductive bounce. His eyes darkened for a moment, wetting his own lips seemingly unaware he was doing so and continued to stare at the swollen, shiny, soft - tissue of her lip for a few seconds longer than he probably intended. Callen looked like he came back to himself when he cleared his throat subtly and bought his gaze back to her eyes. Nell just smiled and felt her eye lids droop closed a little, in response. 

Callen shifted in the driver’s seat to turn and look at her head on, his blue eyes feeling like they were staring straight into her, whatever he saw made him smile softly. Not a smirk or a grin, but a smile. 

Nell felt her heart pick up the pace and was very aware that her control on the situation was slipping; but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Which was surprising considering that she had some pretty prolific OCD like symptoms when it came to not being in control of certain circumstances, especially of the romantic variety. Not wanting to have her heart crushed she tended towards the cautious. But she felt strangely calm and at ease with Callen. Safe. Breaking the charged silence, Callen spoke.

“And what, exactly, did Sam say would happen if I ‘acted up’?” his voice was low and it made Nell’s stomach flutter with butterflies. Smiling with a lot of mischief, she answered in a voice just as low.

“He may have mentioned something about a brand new jazz fusion album he just downloaded.” Callen hummed and placed the Tootsie pop onto the dash without looking away from Nell; and she only noticed in her periphery, as she was quite incapable of breaking his gaze.

“And would this,” he asked, voice rough; as he reached out a large hand, pushing her hair from her eyes and behind her ear, his palm resting against the side of her neck as his thumb rubbed her cheek softly “be ’Acting up’?” Nell’s breathing started to pick up and she licked her lips in anticipation. She shook her head lightly as to not dislodge his hand from its gentle ministrations.

“Only if you don’t plan on finishing what you started.” her voice was breathy and uneven and she was sure he could feel her pulse hammering under his hand. He smiled in response and leaned in. Nell could feel his breath against her lips and she was sure he could feel hers.

“I always finish what I start, Nell.” And with that, his lips were on hers and they were kissing.

Callen was sweet and gentle, his lips moving slowly against Nell’s and she melted into him; a soft sigh escaping her as her hands found him. Her left clutching at the front of his blue button down shirt and her right going to the back of his neck, her nails lightly scratching the cropped blond hair at the base; which garnered her a groan from the back of Callen’s throat and had him banding his left arm around her waist, pulling her tighter to him so they were chest to chest. 

She smiled into the embrace and parted her lips, tongue lightly tracing the seam of Callen’s who got the point and opened his mouth to her. As soon as their tongues touched, the kiss turned from sweet and soft to desperate and needy. Callen dragged Nell across the gear box and had her straddling his lap; her knees biting into the seat and driver’s side door, never once breaking apart. Callen took control of their embrace, which Nell allowed, more than excited at the prospect of what those hands and that mouth could do when working together.

The hand at her waist found the slice of skin that was revealed at the small of her back from her sudden movement and started to trace the line of her spine. Nell shuddered against him and made a soft moan at the sensation, which made Callen bolder in his attentions. His fingertips gliding up the smooth expanse of skin, tripping of the clasp of her bra and back down; changing up the pattern and pressure he used to see what different reactions he could elicit. 

Nell let out a small sigh when Callen pressed his fingers into the nip of her waist. And she whimpered into his mouth; making his hand move from the side of her neck and tangle in the hair at the back of her head and kiss her harder, tongues tangling; when his hand roamed across her back, up her side and let his fingers rest against the side of her breast, flexing his fingers against the lace covered flesh. 

Nell’s nails at the back of his neck and chest dug into his skin slightly and had her swivelling her hips down into Callen’s when he lightly scraped his own nails at the base of her spine, just above the belt of her skirt. He groaned at the sensation and flattened his hand, pulling her down onto his lap as he thrust up slightly. Nell let out a loud, pleasured gasp that had her breaking the kiss and panting up at the roof of the car as she continued her hips movements.

Callen took the opportunity presented by her exposed neck and started kissing it. Starting from under her right ear and making his way down, leaving wet, opened mouthed kisses along the way. He rested his head in the crook of her neck as his hips moved up on their own accord at Nell’s gyrations, before getting his control back and rasping his five o’clock shadow across the delicate skin of her neck, because he enjoyed the way she let out little huffs of breath. He resisted, barely, the urge to leave a high school era hickey on a delicate collar bone at the top of her flushed chest; but he did bite down lightly and had Nell jumping with a moan of appreciation and letting out a breathless laugh at the playful nip and slowed the motion of her hips to a stop.

Nell then reached her hands down to hold his cheeks between her palms and they stare at each other for a moment. Both with flushed faces; kiss swollen, wet lips and dark eyes. Breathing hard they regarded one another for a moment longer before they both smiled, neither regretting the surprising turn of events and leaned back in for another kiss. This one: slow, lazy and happy. 

Just as the kiss threatened to turn heated once more, they heard the familiar click of their earpieces indicating someone was trying to contact them. Breaking apart from Nell slowly and with one, barely there kiss, he turned his comm. back on.

“Callen.” He answered; proud he was only a little breathless. He smiled and shook his head at Nell who was impishly biting her lip, eyes shining with mischief; she just grinned and ducked her head into his shoulder, the opposite side of his earpiece and began kissing and biting at the at the muscles and tendons of his neck; feeling the rumble of his words through his throat onto her lips. Callen’s hands found her hips and thighs and they contracted reflexively each time she hit a particularly arousing spot.

“Yeah, Sam, I got it.” Callen carried on his conversation like everything was normal until Nell nipped with a stinging force that had Callen gasping and playfully slapping her ass, in response; causing Nell’s own gasp, which Callen found most intriguing, and giggled while she used her tongue to soothe the ache her bite had caused. 

“Yeah, man, fine. Hiccup.” Nell pulled back from Callen’s neck with one last delicate kiss and raised an eyebrow at his excuse. He just narrowed his eyes, shaking his head and tried to hold back a smile by biting the inside of his lip. 

Nell smiled, leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth the fingertips of her left hand tracing his brow down to his cheek bone and jaw before cupping his neck; while her mouth peppered soft kisses to his cheek, forehead, temple, eyelids and chin before getting back to his mouth. She left her lips hovering of his, letting the tension and anticipation build; they’re breathing growing shallow. When he spoke, his lips lightly brushed hers and it felt like an electric charge sparked between  
them and she gasped by both the feeling and his words.

“Nell? Yeah, don’t worry; I’ll get her to where she needs to go.” He smirked, rubbing his nose against hers. “See you tomorrow, Sam.” He turned his comm. off pulling it out before reaching out and doing the same for Nell and putting them into his glove box.

“Apparently the mark isn’t going to show, stuck in airport security.” Callen said, still recovering his breathing, as he smoothed hair from Nell’s cheek, smiling when she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch and kissed his palm. “Hetty’s said we can go home.” Nell opened her eyes and smiled.

“My place is closer and I have a pretty killer bed. How do you feel about getting me where I need to go?” she asked wickedly, biting her lower lip. Callen chuckled and kissed her lightly before saying in a deep voice, right next to her ear, breath tickling her lobe; making heat pool low in Nell’s belly as she squirmed for some relief in his lap.

“Like I said Nell, ‘I always finish what I start.’” Callen bought her back down for a searing kiss that had Nell stupidly grateful to the lone Tootsie pop on the dash, left wrapped and forgotten.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Nell gets Callen home.

As soon as Nell had the door to her apartment open, Callen had grasped her by the elbow, pulled her passed the threshold and spun her to face him; closing the door with a ‘bang’ at the force of their bodies hitting the wood; their coats and her purse dropped and left forgotten and unnoticed on the floor.

They were both breathing hard, breaths mingling, chests touching as they fought for air that seemed to be lessening with each tension filled moment between them. Staring into each other, searching for any signs of not wanting to continue; they couldn’t find even a trace. 

They smiled and leaned in to kiss. Hot and slow, tongues touching and lazily sliding together. His hands traversing her body. The soft curve of Nell’s waist leading to her breast. Callen raised his hands and palmed them lightly, receiving a soft sigh. His thumbs found her hard nipples pointing and aching through her top and bra. He thrummed them gently, just enough pressure to have Nell’s breath grow shallow, but not enough for much more.

Callen pulled back then, looking down and never leaving Nell’s eyes, shifted his hips from where they had her pinned to the surface at her back and moved his thigh into the gap of her legs, rucking her skirt up; pressing up and forward to right where she needed the pressure. Her eyes widened, lips parted, panting hard; and then he moved.

Nell gasped and whimpered, shutting her eyes and throwing her head back against the door with a thud. She grabbed hold of his shoulders, hard; Callen moved his hands from where they had been cupping her breast and ghosted up to her hair, down neck, to her shoulders and down her arms before settling at the curve of her waist and holding tight. Callen watched her, closely. Enjoying the feel of her under his palms. The way she bit her lower lip on a moan, that had Callen’s mind cloud with more lust and want than he could remember experiencing.

He lifted her slightly from the floor, rubbing her up his thigh and gaining a long, appreciative whine for the effort. He smiled when Nell opened her eyes; half lidded, and found her head to be level with his own. A slow, seductive smile broke across her face as she wet her lips and leaned forward, capturing his lips with her own. Her hands moved to his neck as she twisted her hips down against Callen’s thigh, making her own breath catch, as sparks of pleasure erupted from her centre and spread throughout her body. 

Nell purposefully pushed her pelvis against the front of Callen’s jeans, feeling the hard ridge of his erection against her, relishing in the groan he released against her lips. The movement seemed to propel Callen into action as he began grinding against her with purpose. 

Becoming too breathless to kiss, Callen broke the lip lock and buried his face against her neck; panting warm, wet exhales to her skin. 

After a time of just the forces of their hips, he bit down on the taught tendon of her neck that was straining under her delicate skin; when she made a low groan and ground against him harder in response Callen couldn’t help sucking at the tantalising flesh.

He was aware that he was going to leave a mark, but the responsible and forward thinking part of his brain was, very much, being overrode by his cave man thought processes that was insistent he mark and claim the young woman. Not that he would tell Nell that. He could only imagine what the, fiercely independent, woman gasping beneath him would do. Or maybe he would; that could be interesting too.

Finding himself to be losing his self control with the noises emanating from the back of Nell’s throat; feeling the wet heat from between her legs against his thigh; the aroma and taste of her skin and the way his hands fit in the nip of her waist, he pulled back suddenly.

Nell, surprised by his sudden withdrawal, blinked owlishly and tried to clear the aroused haze that had fallen over her. “Callen?” she asked, breathing raggedly and not without a small amount of apprehension.

Sensing her unease, Callen smiled and stepped back in to give her a soft kiss. He stroked her flushed cheek and looked into her darkened eyes, certain that he looked just as riled up. “I really don’t want to finish in my jeans, against a door.” Nell nodded in amused understanding, chest heaving, she was about to step away to lead Callen to her bedroom, when he grabbed her by the waist again and pushed her back to the door. “That doesn’t mean you can’t.” He whispered against her ear, biting down on the shell of her ear and pulling it between his teeth and flicking it with his tongue.

He chuckled at her shocked gasp and worked his hands to the hem of her skirt. He pulled the fabric up, dragging the backs of his fingers up the side of the thighs; savouring the shiver he felt against his chest. Reaching her belt, he tucked the material into it, to keep it in place. Not wanting to waste time removing her nylons he whispered in her ear “you have more of these, right?” voice barely above a growl, as he plucked the dark cloth acting as a barrier from an objective he really wanted to complete. 

Nell made an affirmative humming noise and nodded her head, her hair tickling his face and neck; the fruity fragrance of her shampoo making it hard for Callen to make a coherent thought, for a moment. Closing his eyes and gathering himself he said “good.” As he proceeded to tear the hosiery from her body in one long rip. Nell closed her eyes again and moaned at the act; sucking her bottom lip into her mouth. 

Just as Callen was about to slip his hand down into her panties, he stilled his progression, able to feel the heat radiating from her sex; and made a decision. This was more than just an easy way to get off for him and he felt he should show her that, in some way. This meant something to him and if she responded the way he hoped she would, it meant more to her than that, too.

Callen pulled his head back to look at Nell in the face and she made a needy, frustrated noise at his stopping again. He smiled at her impatience and waited for her to look at him; she did with a small frown on her brow and big pout on her lips, which Callen couldn’t resist to kiss away. 

When the kiss ended and Nell saw the expression on his face she tilted her head in question and said “Callen.” Softly, but in the otherwise quiet of her entryway it met his ears as if she’d spoken a lot louder than she actually had. He shook his head and bought the hand that wasn’t, currently, resting just atop her panties and traced her lips with the tips of his fingers.

“Not Callen.” He said. “G. I want you to call me G.” Callen felt her lips part under his caress and a soft exhale brush across the top of his hand. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him and his request; and apparently seeing and feeling what he had hoped she would, Nell beamed at him. She nodded her head; scraping her teeth over her bottom lip as she bought a hand up to his face and cupped his jaw, her thumb gliding the underside of his lower lip. 

She pressed her mouth to his; closed mouth and oh, so sweet that it made Callen’s heart stutter and thud harder in his chest. It was full of affection and promise for more than just that night that Callen couldn’t help the goofy grin on his face, when he pulled back. 

Nell smiled back and giggled slightly, but it quickly turned into a gasp for breath and a moan of “G.” As Callen, finally, slid his hand into her underwear and cupped her sex. He growled when she felt how wet she was under his hand. He pushed against her with the heel of his palm, in firm circles that had her writhing and clutching at his forearm and the front of his shirt. She bucked against his hand and made a high pitched noise out of her nose, when he slid up the pads of his fingers so they were rubbing and rolling her swollen and overly sensitive, bundle of nerves. 

Callen continued this for a while and would get Nell right to the edge of orgasm, feeling her breath stutter and her clit pulse under his ministrations, then pull back; slowing down and easing her back and leaving her with pleasurable throbbing sensation that was ultimately, exceedingly, frustrating. After the fourth just missed orgasm, Nell shook her head side to side quickly, digging her nails into his arm, sharply. “More, G, please.” She begged her breath leaving her in harsh pants, skin sticky with the sheen of sweat.

At his name and the plea from her lips, Callen readily obliged; he’d teased her enough. He had wanted to see how far he could push her and, admittedly, she lasted longer than he expected. But then again, he was also aware how she loathed asking for any kind of assistance, so he shouldn’t be surprised that translated to getting off. Callen was also fairly certain if he prolonged it any further, she would have pushed him off of her and carried on without him; which was an image that Callen wouldn’t mind seeing, in actuality.

Callen tilted his hand and pressed his middle finger deep inside her. Nell cried out a pleasured sob and tightened her inner muscles around him in reaction. She was so wet, that he met no resistance when he started to slowly slide his, now slick digit, in and out of her. She swivelled her hips against his palm, meeting him thrust for thrust, trying to hasten her oncoming orgasm. Callen put the heel of his palm against her clit and kept a constant pressure that had her swearing and moving more vigorously. 

Nell buried her face in the crook of Callen’s neck and whispered a broken demand for “more.” Callen added his ring finger to his middle one and crooked them, looking for that sweet spot right...there and started to fuck her in earnest. Nell yelled out as her pleasure started to build and he could feel her getting wetter against his hand, her scent driving him wild. He pressed her clit harder with his palm as she ground down meeting the thrusts of his fingers at a rapid pace.  
Turning his face into Nell’s, Callen bit down where her shoulder met her neck and she gasped tightening around his fingers, hard. She was close, if the fluttering he could feel and her stuttered breaths were anything to go by. Brushing his lips against her ear he whispered, just loud enough, to be heard over her pleasured pants for breath “Come for me, Nell.” And she shattered.

Nell screamed Callen’s name in the ecstasy of her orgasm, muffled by his shoulder. Her inner walls clenched rhythmically as Callen continued his movements, prolonging her pleasure for as long as he could. He could feel her nails digging into his skin and her teeth biting into his neck and he was weirdly pleased that she was marking him like he had her, earlier. He slowed his movements as her orgasm started to ebb, removing his fingers from inside of her and lightly stroking the soaking skin of her sex as she started to come down; her breathing evening out against Callen’s neck.  
Nell leaned back against the door, eyes closed, feeling boneless and beyond satisfied as a pleasurable buzz thrummed through her veins; extended and kept at a constant level of bliss by Callen’s continued touching.

She opened her eyes and looked up into his face to see him staring at her a small, smug smile on his lips. Nell smiled back and rolled her eyes at his masculine pride. Nell’s grin then turned wicked when she came up with a thought of a way to wipe said smirk from Callen’s lips.  
Looking him in the eye, Nell reached down to where his hand was still lazily stroking, sending waves of pleasure through her; she lightly wrapped her fingers around his wrist and withdrew his hand from her panties.

Never breaking eye contact, she looked up at him from beneath her lashes, wet and rolled her lips and brought his hand, still wet with her, to her parted tongue and sucked the two fingers, which had expertly bought her to orgasm just moments before, into her mouth. She delighted in Callen’s sharp inhale of breath and the way his eyes dilated, until blue could barely be seen. 

Swirling her tongue around, until she was clean of his fingers, she released them with a ‘pop’. Licking her lips and watching him breathe deeply through his nose; she rose to her tiptoes and, breath ghosting over his lips, whispered “Your turn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, smutbunnies wouldn't let me be. This may be a smutty one-shot story or could develop to an extended relationshippy thing. I have ideas for both.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nell's turn and some conversation.

Going back on her heels and placing Callen’s hand on her waist, Nell gripped his upper arms and turned them so he had his back to the door; surprised that her legs actually had the energy to move her with all the orgasmic tremors coursing through her system, making her knee’s feel weak. 

Callen smirked down at her with a raised eyebrow and said, “I thought I said I didn’t want to ‘finish in my jeans, against a door’?”  
Nell bit her lip and smiled up at him, “trust me, you won’t be finishing in your jeans.” She giggled when she felt his other hand fly to her hip and tighten at the curve of her waist as his eyes darkened, again.

Pressing her body against Callen’s, breasts flat to his chest; Nell leaned up and kissed him, his hands holding her to him with unyielding force. She raised a hand to his neck and the other to his shoulder for leverage, kissing him more deeply. Nell parted her lips and grazed her teeth over his bottom lip before giving it a playful nip. Callen gasped at the shock sting and then groaned into her mouth when she sucked the tender flesh into her mouth and glided her tongue of the sore spot.  
Kissing him one, twice, three times she pulled back as far as she could; chests still touching and looked up into his face, the warm air of his ragged exhales brushing her face and waited for him to open his eyes. When he did and they were looking at one another, she took his hands from her waist and put them at his sides, pressed to the door. She smiled up at him sinfully and said. “Keep them to yourself.”

Callen nodded his head in response and curled his hands into fists; his need to touch her flaring up almost as soon as he wasn’t anymore. “What are you planning to do to me, Nell?” he asked. The low timber of his voice had Nell squeeze her thighs together for some semblance of relief. How he managed that by just talking she didn’t know, but she refused to be the only one so deeply affected by the barest of stimulus.

“Now, that would be telling, wouldn’t it? And where’s the fun in that, G?” Nell said as she put her hands upon his chest and raked her nails down, lightly, but enough to be felt through the fabric of his shirt. Nell’s mouth lifted in a smug, half smile when she felt the rumble of a growl leave his chest and how the muscles under her palms tightened with the effort he was exerting from not grabbing hold of her. 

Dragging her nails down further, Nell tripped over his nipples and scraped them with her thumbnails harder than she had before. He let out a small huff of breath and the back of his head banged against the door, his eyes closing; breath becoming harsher. She did it again and he pulled his lower lip into his mouth.

Smoothing her hands across his chest and to the side of his ribs, she bit back on a smile when he jumped under the scuff of her nails and his eyes popped open and narrowed down at her. ‘He’s ticklish’ she thought to herself and filed his response away for later use. And there most definitely would be a later. This was way too much fun for there no to be.

Nell’s hands found their way back to his front and tugged his shirt up from where it had been covering the belt and fasteners of his jeans. Looking up at him through her eyelashes, she let her palm flatten and firmly move over his zipper, where she could feel his erection straining against the rough material of his pants. His eyes snapped back shut and his breathing stopped for a moment before it left him in a huffed gust of air when she cupped him securely. Nell kept her hand in the same position and continued with the same pressure for a moment until Callen groaned; Nell smiled, he wasn’t the only one who could tease.

“Nell.” Callen panted through gritted teeth. The tendons of his neck straining. A surge of electricity seemed to skitter of her skin when she saw the bite mark she’d left on his throat. 

“Yes, G?” she said quietly, the hand that wasn’t torturing him travelled up to the mark and she traced it lightly with the tips of her fingers. Callen groaned at the duelling sensations of her delicate touch at his neck and the frustrating weight at his groin.

“You’re trying to kill me.” He told her as he stared down at her through his barely open eyes. Nell drew her fingers up and across his jaw and placed the tips on his parted lower lip, dragging it down a fraction and letting it go. She shook her head and said.

“Nope.” She paused and tilted her head at him and smirked devilishly. “Well, not before I’ve had my fun, anyway.” And she squeezed. Callen’s eyes rolled back into his head and his fists thumped back against the door. 

Her palm and fingers danced along the outline of him and she bit her lip. He was big and she couldn’t help the giddy anticipation she felt of what it would finally be like to have him fully; but before that she was going to enjoy this. 

The heel of her palm rubbed, at what she could feel was the head, in tight hard circles that had Callen gasping her name. Nell constricted her fingers along his shaft and felt him twitch in response. Continuing her ministrations until he started to breathing through his nose and she knew he was fighting for control. Biting her lip she cast a glance to his face and saw that he was quite on edge; and she had promised he wouldn’t finish in his jeans.

Nell’s hands went to his belt and undid the buckle with careful fingers before nimbly popping the button. Callen opened his eyes and Nell was caught in his gaze, she couldn’t look away. 

His eyes felt heavy on her face and it made her breath hitch and catch in her throat. The feeling that this was more surged up in her chest again and she felt it didn’t scare her. It probably should have; this was G Callen she was embarking on something with. Her colleague and friend and now something much, much more. The sudden escalation ought to make her apprehensive and fearful of the consequences; but all she felt was happy. Turned on beyond all belief, but happy; and she couldn’t, wouldn’t regret that. And if she was reading him right, he didn’t either.

Nell stood on her tiptoes and kissed him as she slowly pulled his zipper down; the backs of her fingers hauling down his erection and Callen kissed her harder, hands still at his sides. She pulled back, lips swollen and shiny. Her fingers hooking into the pockets of his loose jeans she tugged him from the door and further into her living area. 

Walking backwards she guided him to an overstuffed armchair in the corner. Easing her fingers into the sides of his jeans she let them fall to his ankles, before pulling his underwear just enough to reveal him from the confines of his clothes. Looking down at him for the first time she felt the giddiness return; she’d been right, he was big. 

She gave him a smile that verged on the lewd, placing her hands on his shoulder and pushing him down onto the seat. Nell knew she was only able to do so because he let her, but the look he gave was that he was more than happy to follow her lead. Pulling back from one more kiss; she lowered herself onto her knees between the parts of his legs and rested her elbows on his thighs.

Locking his eyes with hers, she took him in hand, felt him twitch and bought him to just before her parted lips. Nell let her breath ghost over his head, that was glistening with fluid, as she watched him swallow shallowly and how his chest heaved with each breath he took. Her tongue wet her lips and she leant forward to place a kiss to his tip. Callen hissed and his hips thrust up sharply in her grasp. She licked her lips and tasted the salty liquid of his pre-cum; before going back and licking him from base to tip. He groaned and gripped the arms of the chair so hard his knuckles were white.

After licking him bottom to top a few more times she used the lubrication her mouth had provided to pump him, her wrist twisting at his head, her palm covering and smearing the gathering liquid at his opening. He gasped at the contact and let out a strangled “Nell.” Nell decided she liked the way her name sounded when said like that and she repeated the motions for a while.

When Callen’s breathing started to catch she decided to change things up. Lowering her lips to him she took him in her mouth, just the tip, sucking and swirling her tongue, working it into his hole and rolling it in circles. Callen let out a yell that could have been her name but his voice was too strained to be sure. Her tongue travelled to the underside of his foreskin and massaged the hard ridge she found and Callen thrust his hips up, his breath leaving him in pants so she did it again and again all the while keeping up her suction, hollowing her cheeks. One of his hands found the back of her head and she made a negative humming noise, her lips vibrating around him. He let out a hoarse “Fuck.” And Nell withdrew her mouth.

“Hands to yourself, G.” She reminded him, her lips red and swollen. Callen looked down at her and groaned. Giving her hair a playful tug as he let go.

“You’re an evil, evil woman, Nell Jones.” He rasped as he placed his hand back onto the armrest and hung his head back onto the chair. Nell smiled and scratched her nails at the base of his cock. He grunted and she laughed.

“You have no idea.” She drawled seductively before lowering her face back to him. Instead of taking his shaft into her mouth she went to his balls. Taking them in one hand she rolled the soft skin in her palm and fingers. Taking one into her mouth she flicked her tongue in circles and let it go with a wet ‘pop’ before repeating the action with its twin. Still playing with his balls she took him into her mouth again, this time as far as he would go.

His head hit the back of her throat and she swallowed, her throat convulsing around him. She heard him release a low curse and she hummed. Callen let out a loud shout at the sensation and Nell had a brief thought about her neighbours being disturbed at the lateness of the hour. Callen folded his lips between his teeth and breathed heavily through his nose. He wasn’t going to last much longer. Swallowing around him once more, Nell pulled back to his tip and then began bobbing her head up and down him, her cheeks hollowing periodically, small hands manipulating his balls and base.

She lightly grazed her teeth up his shaft at the same time she scraped his base with her nails and Callen managed to get out a choked “Nell.” In warning before he came. Hot, salty liquid spilled into her mouth; hitting the back of her throat and she swallowed reflexively, making happy little humming noises that seemed to be making G wild. Sealing her lips around his head she continued pumping and sucking until he was dry. Releasing his softening cock from her mouth she licked her lips and bought a thumb up to her face and wiped the corners of her mouth.

Looking up at Callen she was beyond thrilled to see him with sweat covering his brow and darkening the fabric of his shirt across his chest. His face had this dazed, blissed out quality the likes of which she’d never seen before. He was making attempts to regulate his breathing through his nose as his chest rose and fell at a rapid pace. Nell carefully placed him back into his boxer briefs and he started at the contact, his eyes finding her face. She bit her lip at him and felt strangely shy all of a sudden; which was hilarious considering what she’d just done to him.

Callen gave her a broad smile in return and grasped her by the shoulders and tugged her into his lap. She went more than willingly and nuzzled herself into his chest and neck as she settled into him. She could feel his heart beating at an above average pace against her side and his sweat slicked skin stuck to her. He bounded his arms around her tightly and stroked his thumb up and down her ribs in a soothing rhythm. It was wonderful.

As his breathing and heart went back to normal he let out a contented breath that ruffled her hair and she felt him relax into the chair, bringing her with him. “Nell, that was...” Callen seemed to struggle for the right words but she understood. Nodding against his chest she smiled.

“I know.” She sighed happily when she felt his hand go to her hair and stroke it away from her face and massage her scalp. A thought occurred to her then. “Hey, G?” she asked quietly. He hummed in response. “You have your go bag in the car, right?” his hand stilled into her hair for a moment before continuing.

He nodded. “Yeah, always. Why?” Nell pulled back slightly and smiled.

“Well, we’re all sweaty, so I was thinking a shower,” she bit her lip as he seemed to understand what she was offering. “And we never did get around to using my bed. 

So if you want to spend the night and use your clothes from the go bag for work tomorrow, I’d be more than happy.”Callen looked at her with a soft smile on his lips and nodded.

“I’d like that.” Nell grinned at him and another thought popped into her head.

“Plus, I’m going to need a ride to work. My cars still at ops.” Callen smiled and nodded, his fingers working under her top.

“I can give you a ride in the morning. And then I can take you to work.” Callen said with a smug smirk on his face. Nell snorted and shoved him in the shoulder and shook her head.

“I’m sure you will.” She said as she settled back against him, stroking his forearms. “Not to kill the mood, or anything, but we are going to have to talk about this.” She felt Callen nod against her hair.

“Tomorrow morning, over breakfast. Just so you know, I’m going to be of the opinion of carrying this on.” He said his tone light but Nell could hear the slight nervous edge it held. He was used to being rejected and he needed to know that Nell had no intention of doing so. Turning in his arms, she bought a hand to his face and wiped some sweat from his brow with her thumb.

“That would be my opinion, too.” Nell told him softly, nodding her head slightly. “And everything else? We’ll deal with it as it happens. But we can go into more detail in the morning, I want to enjoy tonight.” Callen tilted his head at her and raised an eyebrow.

“What? No five stage plan for how this is going to go?” he playfully teased and she narrowed her eyes.

“I could if you wanted. I do have one. I could insist that we hit reset and go on actual dates.” Nell bit her cheek against a smile “though that would mean no sex or otherwise until at least date four.” Callen pursed his lips in fake thought and turned his eyes up.

“Yeah, ‘as it happens’ sounds perfect.” He looked back into her face and said seriously “so do the dates.” Nell blushed slightly and smiled.

“Are you asking me out, G?” she asked, voice teasing. He smiled at her and she could really get used to seeing that aimed at her, eyes full of laughter and affection. She was positive that she had the same look when he looked at her.

“Yep.” He said with a decisive nod. “I’m thinking when this case is done, we go out to dinner. Your pick of where.” Nodding Nell gave him a sweet closed mouth kiss.

“I think that sounds like a great idea.” Placing her palms on his chest she started to push her way up when he frowned and held her tighter. “You need to go get your bag and I need to go get the shower started.” She told him and he let her go with a nod. 

She walked towards the hall leading to her bathroom and saw him still sitting in the chair. “G.” She called and he turned to look at her. She smiled and stripped off her shirt revealing a black lace bra. “If you don’t hurry, I’m going to start without you.” With that she turned on her heel and walked down the hall. She hadn’t even reached the bathroom door when she heard her front door slam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for the comments and kudos, they are beyond appreciated.
> 
> SJ x


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shower fun and a lot of fluff.

Nell kicked her shoes off outside the bathroom door and made her way over to the shower. The water would take time to heat up so she took a moment. Staring in the bathroom mirror she examined her reflection and couldn’t help the smile that broke across her face.

Nell noticed the whisker burn at her neck and chest that Callen’s facial had caused when he buried his head at her throat; making her skin red and sensitive. 

Her fingers travelled to the good sized love bite on her neck and she flushed. That was going to be close to impossible to cover unless she wore a polo neck or scarf indoors; and considering she lived in LA, Nell may as well wear a sign saying ‘I was thoroughly debauched last night and the evidence is on my neck!’

She was going to have to talk to Callen about less conspicuous hickey placements. She wasn’t adverse to receiving them, especially when Callen made them feel that good; it was just that they worked with highly observant federal agents on a daily basis, him being one of them, and they needed to be more careful, unless they wanted to ‘out’ themselves before they were ready.

Nell then went about removing her ruined Nylons; her blush increasing. The memory of Callen ripping them to gain access to her had Nell breathing shallower and she bit her lip. She liked how rough he could get, but she appreciated that he took the time to make sure was ok with what he was doing. That he cared enough to ensure her pleasure and to not make her uncomfortable. A conversation was going to be had on boundaries and safe words. Nell was very much looking forward to it.

Standing barefoot on the tiled floor, Nell was about to remove her skirt when she heard a thud by the door and saw Callen leaning against the wall, his bag and shoes next to Nell’s discarded foot wear and top. His gaze swept her from head to toe and he smiled. Nell smiled back and tilted her head to the side.

“Did you pick my lock to get back in?” she asked, remembering her door locked automatically and she hadn’t given him a key or left the catch on for him to return.

Callen just shrugged in a ‘of course I did’ manner and walked to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her bare waist and holding her tightly. Nell leaned back against him, head resting against his chest, sighing in relaxation. 

Callen ducked his head and lightly sucked the love bite on her neck that he’d given her earlier and she gasped, eyes rolling back into her head, enjoying the pleasure pain of it as he lapped the sting away with his tongue. 

She could feel him smile into her skin and she opened her eyes. Meeting his eyes in the mirror she guided her hand up to her own mark on his throat and saying “We’re going to have to be careful.” She guided the tips of her fingers over the purpling shape and continued “The team aren’t stupid, they’ll put two and two together and realise we have some pretty interesting bruising at the same time.”

Callen hummed in a non-committal way, “I don’t know, I like having a matching set.” He said as he turned Nell in the circle of his arms. Nell smiled and went to her tiptoes and kissed him softly.

“I do too. It’ll be a nice reminder during a long work day when you’re not around. But do you really want to deal with Deeks’ teasing and Sam’s knowing looks?”

Callen shrugged and lowered his head to kiss her bruise. “You could say that yours is burn from a curling iron or something and I’ll just say that sparring got a little rough.” Nell bit her lip and raised an eyebrow.

“How ‘rough’ do your training sessions with Sam get, exactly? Should I be worried?” Callen snorted at the implication and slapped her on the ass; smirking when she gasped. Nell rolled her eyes at his obvious glee of her reaction. “All I’m saying is; they could be less visible, not less of them.”

Callen nodded and leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss, deep and long; tongues stroking slowly. Nell moved her hands to the front of his shirt and started to slowly pop the buttons. She broke the kiss with a peck and placed her lips on his chest and kissed her way down the skin revealed; tasting the salt of his sweat on her lips. She noticed his scars but paid them no special mind; she knew the story behind them and figured Callen wouldn’t appreciate her lingering. Not meaning she ignored them, she just let her lips trip over them.

Nell reached a nipple and placed her lips around it, sucking gently, liking the gasp she received. Taking it between her teeth she bit lightly and flicked it with the tip of her tongue. Callen’s hands tightened on her waist and she pulled back, smiling. Callen raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Am I allowed to touch you? Or is this like before where you torture me some?”

Nell’s smile widened “oh, touching is very much encouraged.” She bit her lip “I remember what those hands are capable of and it was appreciated.”

Callen chuckled, “You have a smart mouth.”

Nell pursed her lips in mock offence “only ‘smart’? And here I was thinking you were impressed with my mouth, at least you seemed to be when-“

Callen cut her off with a kiss and chuckled against her lips. “Ok, you have a genius mouth.”

Nell smiled and fake preened, “Hm, ‘Genius’. Just like the rest of me then.”

Callen glided his hands up and down her sides, noting the shivers. “Who knew you were so full of it?” he teased as his fingers found the zip at the side of her skirt. 

“Well, I’d rather be full of something else.” She tilted her head and bit her lip. “Think you can help with that?” Nell started to laugh and Callen joined her as they kissed a little more. 

Noticing the steam filling the room; Nell finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it from his shoulders, her hands gliding down his arms and down to his jeans. Callen hadn’t bothered doing his belt back up which left Nell with just his button and zipper, which she took care of quickly. He stepped out of his pants and toed off his sock, kicking them aside. Callen slinked his hands across her hips unfastened her skirt, watching as it floated down her legs, to a puddle at her feet.

Callen swayed back slightly as to see her better. A slow smile curved his lips. She was all soft curves and pale skin, highlighted with hints of flush. “Perfect.” Callen whispered as he bent down to kiss her, his hands going to her back and grazing up and flicking the clasp of her bra open with deft fingers. He smoothed his hands up her arms, taking the straps and pulling them down. The bra went to the floor unwatched as his eyes were resolutely on her breasts.

Placing his thumbs on the pronounced bump of her hip bones above the line of her panties; Callen spread his fingers and palmed her waist, inching his hands up her flat stomach in a barely there caress. The curve of his hands tripped over her ribs and turned up to cup her breasts when they reached the undersides. Nell was breathing hard and he could feel the hard beating of her heart. 

Looking up into her face he lowered his mouth to her flushed chest and captured a nipple. His hot mouth sucked and flicked making Nell moan and her hands fly to the back of his head. Releasing her from his mouth he moved his mouth to the inner most part of her breast, just by the valley of her chest and sucked a hard mark. Nell let out a harsh gasped “G.”

Callen drew back and looked down at her “Discreet enough for you?” Nell’s eyes were half lidded and dark as she dragged him down by his neck for a frantic kiss. They were hard and demanding, teeth nipping, tongues duelling for dominance. 

All Callen could think of was her; the noises she made, the feel of her under his hands, hot and wanting. All Callen wanted was her, no one else. That thought made his heart hammer and hold her harder; he was almost positive he was going to leave finger shaped bruises on her hips and waist but Nell didn’t seem to mind as she was pushing her hips against him all the harder. 

Nell pulled back and panted. “You will the only one seeing that one. That’s for sure.”

Callen nodded and kissed her again, pulling back just enough that his lips ghosted hers at every movement. “And you’re the only one I’ll be doing it too.” Callen was powerless not to return her small, soft, pleased smile; their admissions of only wanting one another increasing the ever building tension and anticipation.

Callen’s hands gripped the sides of Nell’s underwear and just as she thought he was going to tug them down her hips, he ripped them clean of her body. Nell moaned and stumbled forward at the force of his actions; hands bracing on his chest. “G.” She admonished when the ruined scrap of lace dropped to the floor. Callen smirked.

“I’ll buy you more; an endless supply.” Nell narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.

“Or maybe I’ll just stop wearing them altogether; Saves time and money.” Nell smiled devilishly at the growl she felt under her palms and quickly moved to remove Callen of his boxer briefs; glad to see him already half hard and impressed at his refractory period. He grabbed her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as they kiss deeply, he groans at the feel of her wetness against his stomach and she in return from the stimulus. 

Callen walks them to the shower and places them under the hot spray; Nell’s back against the cold tile making her gasp into the kiss. He moves his mouth to her chin and nips her, making Nell rotate her hips against him. Her hair is soaked and plastered to her head, neck and shoulders. He nudges it aside with his nose and continues kissing down her body. Reaching a nipple, he gives it a playful tug between his teeth that has Nell arching her back.

Placing her back to her feet, he peppers sucking kisses between the valley of her breasts and down to her belly button as his hands travel from her ankles up her thighs and to the curve of her ass, squeezing and kneading; the water making their journey smooth and silky against her skin.

Kneeling before Nell, Callen looks up into her eyes and takes hold of her leg, hooking it over his shoulder. Nell’s breath hitches and her eyes widen as her face and chest flush. Without losing eye contact Callen dips his head and licks a strip against her sex. Nell gasps and keens when he does it again, tongue separating her folds, his stubble rasping her sensitive flesh, sending knee wobbling tremors throughout her body. 

Callen’s hands go to her ass and hip to keep her in place as he dips his tongue into her, tasting her. Her warm, tangy wetness coating his tongue as his nose rubs against her clit. Nell jumps at the contact and lets out a cry as her hands go to the back of his head and she scrapes her nails down his neck, making him moan; the vibration making her shudder and contract around his tongue. His tongue travels up slowly over her and reaches her clit with a hard flick of the point of his tongue. Nell lets out another cry and Callen soothes her back down with the flat of his tongue. He alternates between harsh flicks and soft licks, sending her careening towards orgasm. 

It all feels amazing, but Nell needs more. Something extra to push her that final, frustrating distance and Callen provides it. Taking her clit in his mouth he lightly scrapes his teeth against it and Nell jumps at the overly sensitive nerves being taken between his teeth. He bites down and she’s so close; he draws back and takes the nub in his lips and sucks, hard. Nell screams his name as she explodes, nails scoring his neck and shoulder. He continues lapping at her as she rides her orgasm, legs shaking, inner walls contracting strongly. She presses her thighs together and grabs the sides of his face to bring him to her mouth when she gets too sensitive  
for his continued attentions.

She leans her head against the wall, breathing hard as she pulls him in for a slow kiss. She can taste herself along with the water pouring over them both. He crowds her against the wall and holds her up; and she can feel him fully hard against her lower belly. They kiss until Nell’s breathing is back to normal and she slides her hand down his water slicked chest and grasps him.

Nell uses the water of the shower to stroke him. Her thumb brushing over his tip, thumb nail grazing the sensitive ridge at the underside of his head. Callen grips her waist and gasps onto her forehead where he’s placed his lips. He throws his head back on a particular twist of her wrist and Nell leans forward to nip at his chest, her teeth scuffing his nipples. She puts her lips over the area of his heart and bites a sucking kiss she knows will mark at the same time she squeezes his shaft. And he releases a guttural groan.

Callen comes hot and hard against her stomach as the shower washes it away down the drain. Nell keeps stroking him until he takes her hands and pins them by her head, kissing her sloppily.

Callen pulls back after a while and reaches for a cloth and her strawberry body wash. He tenderly lathers her body with the sweet soap from head to toe. Turning her and massaging the muscles of her shoulders and neck, the cloth travelling to her front and working her chest. He’s so caring and careful it makes tears bite at Nell’s eyes and she bites her lip, leaning her head back against his chest. His ministrations move to her sensitive sex and Nell jumps and gasps but lets him carry on, enjoying the intimate touching.

Nell turns in his arms and reaches for the body wash, using her hands to rub him down. Kneading and massaging what she can reach. She sees Callen move at the side of her and then feels his hand on her scalp the familiar smell of coconut shampoo filling the shower. Nell sighs as he creates cleansing foam in her hair; leaning into his touch. When he’s satisfied she’s sudsy enough he places them back under the spray tipping her head back and kissing her whilst ensuring no bubbles get in her eyes. Callen quickly washes his own hair when they feel the water starting to run cold and turn it off and jump out when it turns icy.

Nell walks to the towel rack and throws one of the bigger ones too him; laughing when it hits him in the face and he gives her a ‘look’. 

Callen wraps the towel around his waist and gets his toiletry bag from the hall. He walks back in to see Nell at the sink putting tooth paste on her brush. Standing next to her he watches her in the reflection of the mirror. She looks young; face clear of makeup, hair dripping water droplets down her back and chest. He thinks for a moment he may be too old, that she should be with someone with less baggage and more...just more. But then she catches him staring in their reflection as she places her brush in its holder and smiles. He smiles back, can’t not. And thinks that all that stuff doesn’t matter; she knows it all and he’s still there in her bathroom in nothing but a towel and she’s smiling at him, big, wide and happy.

Callen goes about brushing his own teeth when Nell starts combing her hair, putting cream on her face and applying deodorant. He sees her sneaking looks in his direction and smiling to herself and he feels a bubble of happiness in his chest. She bends and flips her hair over her face and starts to squeeze the water out as Callen finishes up his after shower routine. He walks into her bedroom and removes the towel from his waist and begins to dry himself, head to toe; looking up when he feels eyes on him. Nell’s standing there biting her lip and blushing. Callen smirks and tilts his head.

“What’s the blush for?” he asked amusement evident. Nell’s hands twist in the towel that had dried her hair and looked to the floor before meeting his gaze again.

“You. Naked. In my bedroom. Not exactly how I thought tonight would end, this morning.” Nell shrugged and walked towards him. “It’s good, though. Right?” She leans forward and traces her tongue up his chest where a droplet of water was falling. Callen’s eyes fluttered shut as she began to kiss up his chest and neck. She reached his cheek and he turned his head, talking against her lips.

“Yeah, it’s good.” And he kissed her, unhurriedly and soft; his tongue teasing hers. he was about to deepen it when Nell yawned against his mouth. Pulling back abruptly, Nell slapped a hand over her mouth, face red, eyes wide.

“I am so sorry.” Nell says, mortified, words muffled by her hand. Groaning she dropped her forehead to his chest and Callen laughed, wrapping his arms tightly around her shoulders. Kissing the top of her head and saying into her nearly dry hair

“Nap?” Nell wraps her arms around his waist and nods against his chest.

“Yeah. That sounds great. Sorry.” She says again. Callen just smiles, shaking his head and pulls back to look down at her face.

“No apologies necessary. I obviously wore you out more than we thought.” He smirks and Nell snorts, pinching his side. Callen jumps and raises an eyebrow.

“Smugness gets pinched.” She explains and Callen smiles, rolling his eyes. “So, Nap, then all the sex?” Nell clarifies as she untangles herself from him and drops her towel to the floor. Callen watches as she makes her way to her bed and throws the blankets back on both sides, before climbing in. She looks at him still standing by the foot of the bed and widens her eyes in question as to why he hasn’t joined her.

“I don’t really sleep, Nell; At least not for long and certainly not well.” He told her as he made his way to the opposite side of the bed. She smiles at him as he settles against the pillows.

“I don’t mind, as long as you’re here.” She tells him as she drapes herself across his chest; hand resting on his sternum, chin atop it, looking into his eyes. “Besides, I don’t plan on sleeping long, just enough to recharge.” Callen nods and leans in as she stretches up and they trade lazy kisses. Nell pulls back with a contented sigh and nuzzles her nose against his chest and relaxes against him, tracing her name on his chest.

Callen can feel her soft breaths even out over his skin as he skims the tips of his fingers along the bumps of her spine with one hand whilst she holds the other, fingers intertwined on his stomach. He kisses her temple and he allows her rhythmic breathing to lull him to sleep.

Callen wakes first and is shocked to see he slept a whole two hours, uninterrupted. Nell’s digital clock says it’s just gone 1:30am; he weighs up the pros and cons of waking Nell up for ‘All the sex’ when she makes his mind up for him by sighing in her sleep and pressing herself up against his side.

Callen nuzzles her cheek with his nose as his hands stroke up and down her back. Nell turns into him and he kisses his way along her temple, eyelids, nose, before finally landing on the corner of her mouth. He kisses her awake and she lets out a hum against his lips with a sleepy “G.” Smiling into the kiss, Callen rolls Nell on to her back and settles between her parted thighs, resting his weight on his forearms, bracketing her head as he kisses her breathless.

Callen groans and Nell gasps when she shifts her hips and his heavy hardness brushes against her wetness. Nell starts to circulate her hips against him and they get lost in each other and the pleasurable friction being created.

Callen has to use all of his willpower to pull himself up and ask a breathless “Condoms?”

Nell blinks up at him, chest heaving. “Clean and on the pill, I’m good without if you are.”

Callen looks down at her, searching her face, “You sure? I mean, I’m clean too and negligible for the other. But are you sure?” 

Nell smiles softly up at him and uses her fingers to trace down his temple. “Yes.” She answers resolutely.

Callen smiles back and kisses her gently. “Then I’m good without too.” He whispers.

Nell’s hand travels between them and gets him in hand, stroking him a few times for good measure; never leaving each other’s eyes she slowly guides him down and then.....their phones ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No sex. Sorry. Soon though. Maybe.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of nearly coitus interruptus and some fluffly fluffyness.

Callen groaned and let his head fall to Nell’s shoulder. He could feel as well as hear her laughter as she released her hold on him and bought her hands to his back and stroked, up and down, in a feather light caress.

“We should really get that.” She told him, mirth very much present in her words. Callen pressed a kiss to under her jaw, nodded and rolled off of her. He laid on his back and watched as Nell climbed off the bed, put on a short towel dressing gown and made her way out of the room. 

He put the heels of his hands into the sockets of his closed eyes and tried to concentrate on calming his rapidly beating heart and not how much he wanted to drag Nell back to bed and say fuck it and then fuck her. Of course work had to call right then. God knew it interfered in every other part of his life, Nell’s too, why not when they were about to sleep together. He looked up when he heard Nell pad back into the bedroom. She smiled and threw the still ringing cell at him.

“You got Sam, I’ve got Hetty.” Nell told him as she waved her own squawking phone at him. “I’m gonna take it in the front room. Don’t want them overhearing our conversations.” Callen smiled and nodded as she backed out of the room, her hand gliding over the wall as she exited the bedroom, closing the door behind her. He was about to answer the call when it stopped. Sighing, Callen counted down from ten; as soon as he hit one, Sam’s ID lit up the screen again.

“What’s up, Sam?” he asked, quieter than usual; even though the door was closed he didn’t trust that Hetty didn’t, in fact, have some sort of bat like hearing and wouldn’t be able to pick his voice out through multiple walls and doors as she talked to Nell.

“What took you so long?” Callen resisted the urge to sigh, barely, but he did roll his eyes. Sam could be such a mother hen.

“The phone was in the other room.” Which was true, he just didn’t mention that a nearly naked Nell was the one to fetch it for him. The less lies he told Sam the better. They’d been partners and friends too long; he would tell if Callen wasn’t being telling the truth. “What’s going on Sam?” he asked again, hoping to get to the end of the call quickly and maybe able to salvage his time with Nell. He doubted it, if they were both getting called, but he could hope.

“Johnson got released by airport security. Kens and Deeks are sitting on his house now. You and me need to get to the meet sight just in case he decides to make the deal right away.” This time Callen did sigh. “What?” Sam asked.

“Nothing, man. Just tired. Long stake out.” Sam laughed.

“What? Nell tire you out?” Callen snorted and laughed. If only Sam knew how accurate that statement was even if she was most definitely not making him feel tired right then. The less he thought about that when speaking with Sam the better.

“Something like that.” He returned, vaguely. “My ego took a bruising; she’s bizarrely good at Roshambo.”

Sam snorted. “That’s because she’s smarter than you and it’s her job to spot patterns; what with you almost always throwing ‘scissors’ I doubt you were much of an opponent.” Callen nodded even though Sam couldn’t see him. “Anyway, Nell’s been called into Ops to watch our backs. I’ll swing by and pick you up.” Callen panicked. If Sam went to his place he wouldn’t be there and there wasn’t enough time to get home from Nell’s before Sam reached it. 

“Yeah, no. I’ll pick you up. Your car’s been making that funny creaking noise. Not good for a stake out, big guy.” Before Sam could respond to the slight on his car, Callen continued. “Besides you’re on the way to the warehouse.” Sam was silent for a minute and Callen silently chastised himself. He was a highly trained undercover operative and he’d just babbled like an idiot.

“Ok. Sure. You ok, G?” Callen could hear the concern mixed with suspicion and made an effort to calm himself down.

“Yeah, fine. I’ll pick you up in thirty.” Callen hung up the phone, not waiting for Sam’s comment on that it shouldn’t take that long from Callen’s place to his, got out of bed and made his way to the closed bedroom door. Not hearing any voices, he figured Nell’s call with Hetty had ended and it was safe to get his go bag.

He walked out the bedroom towards the bathroom intending to pick up his clothes from the bathroom floor, but they were gone. Dismissing it for the moment, Callen quickly brushed his teeth and applied some more deodorant hoping to cover the smell of Nell’s body wash and the perfume from her sheets. He hastily got dressed and made his way to where he could hear Nell moving around. 

Callen found her, still in her sinfully short dressing gown, as she was pouring steaming hot coffee into two travel mugs. He’d have to ask what kind of coffee maker she had, thing was fast. Nell turned her head over her shoulder and smiled when she heard his boots on her wood floors.

“I put our clothes in the wash.” She said, nodding her head to a door where he could hear the soft sloshing of the washing machine. “Hope you don’t mind.” Callen shook his head and made his way to her. She turned around, leaning up on her tiptoes, looping her arms around his shoulders and tilted her head. “Hi.” She said a small smile pursing her lips.

“Hey.” He returned, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her tightly too him. He ducked to kiss her; Just a press of lips, closed mouths. Neither went to deepen it, knowing it couldn’t go any further and they were already pressed for time without mini-make outs.

Nell pulled back with a dreamy sigh and Callen smiled. “You didn’t get to finish what you started.” Nell playfully pouted. Callen huffed a laugh and bought a hand up to brush her hair from her eyes.

“No,” he said softly. “But we’ve got time. Hopefully the case will be finished today and we can go on our date.” Nell smiled brightly and his heart swelled. She was so happy at the prospect of spending time with him; he couldn’t get his head around it. 

“I had some thoughts about that.” She told him, her fingers tracing shapes at the base of his neck. It wasn’t meant to be erotic and it wasn’t really, it was more of an absent touch; her subconscious need for contact. He hummed and she nodded. “Since we won’t be able to have breakfast and sort the details of our relationship out; I was thinking dinner, here, tonight. Just the two of us, work permitting, of course. I’m a pretty great cook.” Nell stopped talking when she felt him tense. “What?”

“Is that what this is? A relationship?” Callen asked, panic setting in. He wasn’t good at relationships. It’s not that he didn’t want one with Nell; he just didn’t want to screw it up. Nell smiled up at him, seemingly unperturbed by the mini freak out he was sure she read in his eyes and body language.

“Yes. The beginnings of one, anyway. I mean if that’s what you want.” She qualified, a little insecurity entering her voice. Worried she’d overstepped. Callen kissed her again, assuaging her fears.

“It’s what I want. You’re what I want.” He reassured and was rewarded with a blush covering her face and neck.

“You’re what I want too.” Callen smiled wide and was about to kiss her again when he noticed the time.

“Fuck.” He whispered against her lips. He pecked her quick and stepped back, with great reluctance. His body already missing her warmth. At Nell’s raised brow he explained “I gotta go. Sam’s already suspicious after I word vomited on him over the phone earlier.” Nell snorted and nodded. Turning around she grabbed up a travel mug and handed it to him. He raised a brow and smirked.

“You making me a packed lunch, too?” Nell smiled and bit her lip, she turned to the cupboard behind her and on tiptoes; which made her dressing gown ride up so Callen got a view that mad his heart race and his hands clench around his coffee, she got out an orange plastic bag and threw it at him. He caught it easily and laughed.

“Might not be the most nutritional meal, but we ate all off your stash on our last stake out.” Nell said motioning to the bag of Tootsie pops in his hand.

“Well, not all of them. I do still have a cherry one.” Nell narrowed her eyes and let her mouth drop open in mock outrage, her smile evident in her eyes.

“And it had better still be there when you get back to OSP, Agent Callen. I won that and I expect to have my victory prize.” She walked towards him and placed her hands on his chest, leaning up, she whispered. “If you’re very lucky, I might just share it with you.” Her lips ghosted his for a brief moment pulling back before he could respond; she stepped back and leaned against her kitchen counter. “Shouldn’t you get going? Sam’s waiting.” 

Callen shook the thoughts of him grabbing her by the waist, placing her on the counter top she was leaning against and fucking her with his fingers until she screamed his name in orgasm. He had more than the desire to do so, just not the time. Nell was right; he was going to be late picking up Sam as it was. Instead he walked to her and kissed her softly on the forehead. Callen made it to the kitchen door when he remembered something.

“I was supposed to give you a ride.” He said head hung back, staring at her ceiling.

“Yes, you were. But I think we established we don’t have enough time for that. We could aim for a quickie, but I don’t think we’d manage it.” Callen huffed a laugh and turned to face her.

“I meant to work, Nell. I was supposed to give you a ride to work.” Callen shook his head and put the Tootsie pop bag under the arm that was holding his coffee and checked his watch. “Not even six hours into this relationship and I’ve already broken two promises. Doesn’t bode well, does it?”

Nell smiled at him indulgently and walked to stand in front of him. “You’ve been doing perfectly. You have been sweet,” She presses a kiss to his lips, “caring” another, “funny” another “and utterly satisfying and I won’t have anyone say otherwise, especially not you.” She gave him one more lingering kiss before dragging him towards her front door. “Besides, we already upgraded breakfast to dinner and I ordered a cab after getting off the phone with Hetty.” Callen turned to her by her front door, a frown on his face, “What now?” she asked with a laugh.

“A cab, at two in the morning, on a Friday, in LA.” He shook his head, frown turning into a scowl with each thing he listed. “No. I’ll call Sam and have him meet me there. Go get dressed.” Callen nodded his head towards her bedroom. Nell stayed put, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow.

“G. This isn’t the first time I’ve been without my car and had to take a cab, on my own, late at night. Usually I’ve had a few drinks when I do, so this is a step up.” Callen looked her in the eye and shook his head. His over protective streak and his possessiveness melding in his concern for her safety. He didn’t just get her to lose her or have her hurt because wasn’t forward thinking enough.

“Maybe, but this is the first time you’ve had to do it because I bailed on you. I just want you safe.” He raised his hand and brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers; Nell leaned into the touch and smiled.

“G, sweetie, I’m a trained Federal agent, I have a gun and pepper spray. I can take on a grabby cabby.” She assured as she noticed the strange look Callen was giving her, a mixture of concern, reluctant acceptance and awe. That’s when she realised she’d pet named him and he seemed to like it.

Callen blew a sigh through his nose and nodded. “Fine. But you text me as soon as he gets here and as soon as you make it into OSP.” Nell opened her mouth to object but Callen shook his head. “It’s either that or I do what I want and take you myself.” Nell rolled her eyes and nodded, and then she smiled slowly. “What’s that smile for?” 

“We just had our first disagreement and then made a compromise without angry shouting.” Nell bit her lip, “We’re already amazing at this relationship thing.” Callen smiled and kissed her, hard. He had to agree with that assessment. Nell broke the kiss and backed away. “You really need to go. I don’t want you speeding to get to Sam’s on time.” Callen smiled and opened the door.

“Don’t forget to text me, Nell.” He called as she rounded the corner to her bathroom.

“I won’t, sweetie. Text me when you get to Sam’s so I know you didn’t go all boy racer and died in some mangled inferno of masculinity.” Callen laughed.

“Ok, babe.” He called back before closing the door. Yeah he liked the pet names.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't regret the fluff. More Nallen fluff would make the world a better place. Truth
> 
> I know there was no sexiness but they are in a relationship now guys. Plenty of time for it.
> 
> Your comments and kudos are loved.
> 
> SJ


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callen forgets something, has an awkward drive and realises his night could have gone better.

“Missing me already?” Callen asked after he answered the call on the second ring. He was currently idling outside Sam’s house, waiting for his partner so they could get to the meet site already. Miracle of miracles Callen hadn’t actually been too late; the LA suburbs were thankfully quiet and the traffic light Gods hadn’t been complete jerks, as he barely hit a red the entire ride over.

“Like you wouldn’t believe;” Nell deadpanned back to him and he was powerless to the chuckle that escaped him. “But I think that it’s you that’s missing something. Forget something, did we?” Nell asked.

“Hey, I text you as soon as I was stationary outside of Sam’s. Texting when driving kills, you know. I take road safety very seriously, Nell.” Callen said as he saw Sam’s front room light go on with two silhouettes becoming visible. ‘Michelle seeing him out’, Callen thought. Just like Nell had done for him; he was aware of the dumbass grin on his face and he didn’t care. Callen had a warm feeling in his chest and he didn’t mind indulging it for the moment. Just like he had been indulging in all the very fresh memories from the very car he was sitting in, Nell’s doorway, her overstuffed chair, her shower, her bed, her kitchen and her door again. Wow they got a lot covered in a very short time, but there was a lot more that he still wanted to cover. A lot more.

“Do me a favour and tell that to Hetty the next time you total a car or get caught speeding off duty again; I’ll appreciate the laugh when she kicks your ass and then sends it to driving school, again.” Nell stressed the second ‘again’ and he could tell that she was smiling; he liked that she was smiling, that he was making her smile. 

“And yes, thank you, you did remember to text me, which tells me that your mind isn’t as ravaged with old age as I had first feared.” Nell teased and Callen rolled his eyes, but was secretly glad that she felt comfortable enough to tease him and even more glad that it was about his age, showing that she didn’t care about the over a decade gap between them. Even if it did bother him slightly, not a lot, but enough that he knew that it would have to be a part of the talk they had planned over dinner that night.

“And what, exactly, has my advanced years made me forget? I have my coffee, my candy and my kiss. What else does a man need?” Callen asked, biting the inside of his cheek at her laugh; the warmth in his chest expanding at the sound. Callen was pretty sure that this woman was remaking him from inside out and he knew that he wouldn’t put up a fight if she continued to make him feel like this.

“A man?” Nell asked airily. “Not much more, but an Agent? Well, there is something that is somewhat of a necessity.” Nell teased and Callen groaned in realisation.

“My go bag,” Callen breathed. He’d forgotten it at her apartment. Damn, first the hickeys and now a missing go bag; they were doing really well at keeping this thing between just the two of them. At this rate everyone would know before they even got to have dinner.

“Ding ding ding, G.” Nell sing songed. “So, we have two options as I see it.” Nell said not unlike when she gave the team options on a case. “It can stay here until tonight, when we have dinner, or I can try and get it into OSP. Fair warning, though, I may be sneaky but that thing is nearly as big as I am and I cannot guarantee mission success.” She warned and Callen laughed. She wasn’t wrong, his go bag was big and she really wasn’t.

“Well, we all have our crosses to bear, Nell. Apparently I’m old and you’re short, what can you do?” Callen teased, because she wasn’t the only one who got to do so in this relationship. ‘Relationship’, Callen thought. ‘Oh God’; but a good ‘oh God’ a very good ‘oh God’, actually.

“Hey, I can wear heels,” Nell replied easily, her tone was playful and Callen was learning that that tone was something that he liked and was suspicious of in equal measure. “You, on the other hand, would have to take the more drastic route of some sort of cosmetic option; major surgery and alike. Or hope really, really hard that the Fountain of Youth isn’t just a myth.” And Callen laughed. Damn, she was quick. And damn, so was Sam, who had just opened his front door. He really needed to wrap this call up, even though he really didn’t want to.

“Before we start planning a full face lift for me or taking part in some sort of medieval quest for vitality, maybe we should decide on a course of action for this bag dilemma.” Callen suggested as he kept an eye on the front of Sam’s house and decided that Michelle was going to be getting an extra nice bottle of wine the next time he went over to dinner, because she had just called his partner back into the house, which meant that he had a little longer on the phone with Nell.

“Well, I like your face just the way it is, so no altering surgery, but as for that quest; a trip for just the two of us. Could be a worse way to spend time, G.” Nell said; her voice a mix of sultry and sweet which Callen had just realised was pretty much to describe Nell Jones.

“Something to think about,” Callen agreed, his smile becoming softer at the prospect of vacation plans; especially someplace with sea, sun, sex and sand, perfect bikini conditions. And he really needed to curb those thoughts until he and Nell were in a position to do something about it, not when his partner was only a few dozen feet away; things would get awkward. “Now, the bag, Nell.” Callen said as Nell huffed a laugh.

“Ok, pushy.” Nell said. “I think that we should just leave it here; you have another one in your lockers, right? So it’s not like you have to go home for a spare. And my dragging that thing into OSP is just going to invite questions that neither of us wants to answer just yet.” Nell said and Callen nodded even though she couldn’t see him.

“Then it stays at yours.” Callen agreed as Sam’s door opened again and his partner jogged down the path leading to his car. “Sam’s nearly here, I’ve got to go. Text me when the cab gets there and when you get to OSP.” Callen reminded and he could just see Nell roll her eyes like she had back by her front door when he made the same demands before he left.

“Yes, G, I will.” Nell said and he could then here muffled movements on her end. “Actually, it just got here, so no need to text.” 

“Until you get to OSP.” Callen said as Sam threw his bag into Callen’s trunk and shut it again.

“Until I get to OSP.” Nell replied in a tone that was more indulgent than exasperated. Callen wondered how long that would last if is over protectiveness increased as their relationship progressed. Not long, he imagined. Nell was never going to be a push over and he found that he quite looked forward to the prospect of her standing up to him. She was a strong, smart, independent woman and he wanted her to stay that way, even if it meant that they clashed from time to time, not constantly but enough to keep them on their toes. 

“Now I’ve really got to go,” Callen rushed as Sam rounded the car. “Oh, and Nell?” He called quickly, “I like your face to.” Callen smirked when Nell laughed.

“You say the sweetest things.” Nell replied faux dreamily as he heard what he assumed was her front door close and be locked. Although maybe locked was a little too nice a term for it; Callen had found it an all too easy experience to pick when it hadn’t been individually locked from the other side. That was going to have to change. He wondered if that would be their first actual argument.

“I do try.” Callen said as Sam opened the door and lowered himself into the same passenger seat Nell had been in earlier. Callen nodded a hello and Sam gestured to the phone with a wave of his hand and a raised eyebrow, not interested in greeting his partner apparently. “Talk soon, Nell.” Callen said exaggerating her name a little for Sam’s benefit. He nodded and buckled his belt, in response.

“Yeah, sweetie, soon. I promise.” Nell assured and Callen had to bite back on the smile at the pet name. He hadn’t ever liked them in the past, they felt too cutesy and condescending, but from Nell they were full of playful affection and he liked it. It was intimate in a way that his initial wasn’t, because no one else called him it.  
Callen ended the call and put his cell on the dash next to the cherry Tootsie Pop and bit the inside of his lip again. Nell’s prize, an external reminder of what had transpired just a few hours ago, well that and the bruising on his neck that he really hoped his collar was still covering but if the scrutinising look he was getting Sam, he got the sinking feeling that it hadn’t.

“Nell good?” Sam asked as Callen pulled away from the curb and in the direction of the meet up site.

“Yeah, we were just clearing some stuff up.” Callen said his eyes decidedly on the road and mirrors and not on his friend, even when they were the lone vehicle on the road that late at night in that neighbourhood. Lack of eye contact and the less time Sam had a chance to see his facial tells was a good thing when talking about Nell, in Callen’s opinion. He could feel Sam’s eyes on his profile but he ignored it; well he ignored it as best as he could in a car with Sam only a few feet away and his training making his skin prickle with awareness. Callen’s phone beeped a few minutes later of awkward staring and he thought that he had never been happier for the interruption. He opened the message at a red and read it and responded before locking it as he started driving again. “Kensi and Deeks said that Johnson just arrived home but hasn’t left again.”

“Good,” Sam said with a nod as he turned and looked out of the front windshield. “We’ll definitely get to the meet site before he could from his house.” And Callen knew that it was a not so veiled reference to the stranger than normal call they’d had and how much longer it had taken Callen to get to his house.

“Yep, should do.” Callen casually agreed, maybe a little too casually and a lesser man would have cringed. “Kens and Deeks will follow him if he goes anywhere, anyway.” He said as they took a left turn and out of the residential area, and, luckily for Callen a less lit up area so Sam could see him even less now. They were silent for what felt like forever and Callen could still feel Sam throwing him looks that he resolutely refused to rise to. If Sam wanted to ask something he could, but no way in hell was Callen offering anything up. Callen was no damn fool and he would not give something away, by accident, just to fill a silence; that was interrogation 101 and he’d used the technique too many times before to let it fell him now.

“So what took you so long to get to me?” Sam asked as Callen took a right into a heavily built up warehouse district.

“Nothing really,” Callen said even though he meant ‘everything really,’ “what about you?” Callen obviously deflected and he wasn’t a bit ashamed. Sam knew too well when he was lying so he would have to be more specific in his questioning for any meaningful answer. “I was outside for a bit before you got out. Michelle all right?” he asked. Sam was quiet for a few long moments before he sighed and rubbed over his head and down his face.

“Yeah, she’s fine.” Sam nodded. “The kid’s sick so Michelle’s been up and down all night trying to let me sleep; I nearly got out all clear but I was heard so I had to go back and give a goodnight kiss. Then Mitch insisted that I take some nasty ass cold medicine ‘just in case’.” Sam said as he made a disgusted face and air quotes. “I think she was just pissed that I got to leave the little Petri dish masquerading as our daughter and wanted to punish me.” Callen laughed as he shook his head.

“Or she could have just been looking out for her husband.” Callen defended, because vindictive or not, Michelle had unknowingly done him a solid by detaining Sam a little longer. Callen didn’t even need to sneak a look at his partner to know that he was on the receiving end of a very unimpressed look. “Yeah, ok, maybe not.” Callen acquiesced with a chuckle.

“No ‘maybe’ about.” Sam grumbled as he gripped the handle above the passenger door and looked out of the passenger window. 

“There are worse things in the world than the woman you love force feeding you cold medicine, Sam.” Callen smirked as he took the turn to near where the warehouse was that the meet up was supposed to happen. He parked and then picked his cell up from the dash again. It was from Nell telling him that she had gotten safely to OSP with no incidents of any kind with her driver, unless you count an awful taste in music. Apparently she was not a fan of Imagine Dragons if the angry little face that accompanied it was anything to go by. But that wasn’t what had is attention, no, what had his attention was that she was safe and the two little x’s at the end of the message that had the warmth returning to his chest with a vengeance. 

“Yeah, there are worse things, G.” Sam said as Callen sent his own message back. A thank you for remembering to text, a glad she was safe, an agreement that if he knew who the band were he’d probably dislike them too, telling her they were at the meet site and were about to put in there comm.’s and two little x’s of his own because apparently he was a huge sap. “And it looks like you know something about that.” Sam said and Callen looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. Sam just smiled and narrowed his eyes back at his partner. “There something you want to tell me, G?” Sam asked.

“Nope.” Callen said as he put his locked phone down and retrieved his comm. Link from his glove compartment, where Nell’s still was, and the bag of Tootsie pops she’d given him. He grabbed the lone sucker from the dash and put it with its brethren so he wouldn’t keep seeing it and forcing himself to not smile.

“Really?” Sam said as he put his own link in and they both checked their guns. Callen shrugged as he closed the glove compartment and assessed his surroundings because he was a professional, damn it; a professional who, on his last stake out, had heavily made out with his stake out partner and then taken them home and done some very unprofessional things with and to them. But there was exactly 0% chance of that happening again at this stake out. Sam really wasn’t his type. “You gonna play me like that?” Sam asked when Callen continued to be silent.

Callen cut his eyes to his partner and gave him his blandest look. “I have no idea what you are talking about.” Callen said in a careful monotone.

“I’m talking about the huge ass bruise on your neck and that face splitting grin you have on your face at whoever was on the receiving end of that text.” Sam said, a little smugly in his opinion, and Callen narrowed his eyes at it. 

“Would you believe a sparring session gone too far and a dirty joke?” Callen asked and Sam snorted.

“I’d believe there was something dirty about how you got that neck accessory, but I know that it had nothing to do with my sparring with you and as far as the joke excuse, if it really was of the blue variety you’d have chuckled because you have the sense of humour of a prepubescent.” Sam shot down and Callen most definitely did not pout, what his lips were doing was not a pout, he would deny it until the day he died.

“Curling Iron accident and a dumbass selfie from Deeks?” Callen tried again even though he knew it was a futile effort at this point. Sam laughed and shook his head.

“Yeah, because your luscious locks are looking particularly bouncy today. And as for the selfie, I would have gotten one too because Deeks has that particular gift to humanity on his team send list and they are very rarely grin worthy, unless you count the time that he got himself stuck in that revolving door, that shit was hilarious. Want to try again or should we just go straight to the truth.” Sam asked with his Raised Brow of Honesty. Again, Callen did not pout, he was a grown ass man and grown ass men did not pout. Ok, Deeks did but he was more of a man child, if anything, and Callen was not that; he knew how to exit buildings with revolving doors no problem.

“Sam,” Callen sighed as his shoulders slumped. “Can we just not.” He asked because even if he wasn’t ashamed of what he and Nell were building, because he really wasn’t, it was still barely at its foundation, hell, they were still on the blueprints needing final approval and they didn’t need outside input at that point of the process. When they had had ‘the talk’ and everything was hashed out he would gladly tell all of the team, but until then it was nobody’s business but theirs.

“Oh, come on, G, if you’re finally getting some that’s at least worth a conversation when we’re on stake out.” Sam needled with a grin and Callen rolled his shoulders a little. ‘Getting some’ was such an understatement for what he and Nell were going for that it made his stomach twist a little at having it diminished to that. Sam must have seen that that had made Callen uncomfortable because he immediately sat back in his seat and tipped his head to the side as he intently studied his partner. “Oh, wow,” Sam said quietly. “You in deep, G?” He asked although he already seemed to know the answer.

Callen rubbed the back of his neck, his had just grazing his bruise and he found that little reminder of Nell and what they had done and what they hoped to do in the future, gave him the strength to talk to Sam, at least a little. “Yeah,” Callen admitted, quietly. “I’m in deep, but it’s new, like ridiculously new and we both decided to keep it on the down low until we had a chance to at least talk about it first.”

“How ‘new’, could it be if she’s already marking up your neck like that?” Sam asked a smile playing at his lips. “Did G Callen jump straight into bed with a woman?” he asked in mock outrage, even if that had been his play with all the other women before Nell.

“Not straight into bed and when we did end up there it was to sleep and then to the good stuff until you interrupted.” Callen said bluntly.

“Sorry for the cock block bud, but duty calls, hope your lady friend understood.” Sam said with a smile that meant he really wasn’t all that sorry. If only Sam knew just how much Nell understood. Sam then narrowed his eyes. “You sleep like shit.” Sam said as he was putting puzzle pieces together, so Callen shrugged again, not wanting to help him anymore than he had.

“Not with her, apparently,” Callen said as he looked out of the window and away from Sam’s suspicious face. He knew, he just knew, that Sam was about to bust him and he was not looking forward to it or the conversation with Nell where he had to explain that he couldn’t keep it together for more than an hour and the ensuing teasing she would give him for it. She would be relentless he just knew it. He heard Sam take a breath in to speak but was interrupted by the chirrup of their phones. Callen was well on the way to forgiving technology for interrupting him and Nell if it kept getting him out of awkward moments.

“Hanna,” Callen heard Sam answer his call as he answered his own with “Callen,”

“Hey,” It was Nell on the end of his and he smiled. “Johnson’s on the move, Kensi and Deeks are tailing him but he’s obviously on his way to you.” She said as he heard the tell tale clicking of a keyboard telling him she was at her terminal. “We’ve got access to all of the camera’s in the area and layouts too all the warehouses, so we’ve got you covered. Tele communication says that the Russian’s are on their way and should be there before Johnson, so keep covered and keep safe.” Nell informed very professionally that it made Callen proud.

“Do we know what warehouse they’re going to use?” Callen asked, also keeping it professional and also feeling proud of himself.

“The Russians own three B, so I would say that is a safe bet; the manifesto says it houses old mechanic machinery and car parts which are a little worrying considering their propensity for the car bomb. It also doesn’t help that the last three times a building they’ve owned have been raided by law enforcement they’ve all been rigged to explode.” Nell warned. “You hear any ticking and you run in the opposite direction.” Nell ordered and Callen snorted.

“That’s usually the plan in those types’ situations, Nell.” He said and Nell hummed.

“With you it feels like a point to be reiterated.” Nell said and Callen softened as he heard the slight worry in her voice, not a lot but enough. He wasn’t exactly known for playing it safe.

“Suspect bomb, run from bomb.” Callen promised and smiled at the little laugh it produced.

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Nell said. “You need to get ready to take these guys down.” Callen could hear more tapping and then some talking to who he assumed was Eric. “Kensi and Deeks are five minutes out with Johnson and the Russians should be there in moments. Comms on, Agent Callen.”

“Talk to you again in a minute, Nell.” Callen said.

“Yeah,” Nell said as they disconnected their call and Callen clicked his line on and he only just realised that he hadn’t heard any of Sam’s conversation. 

He turned his head to the side and looked at his partner who was giving him an all too knowing stare and Callen thought that it may be a little judgemental, which really did not impress him and he felt his hackles rise a little. Sam opened his mouth to talk and Callen knew that it was going to be about what they had been discussing before they were disturbed and he thought it might not be the most positive of conversations and he didn’t want Nell to hear it if he was right, he knew she liked Sam, respected him and Callen didn’t want her hurt by whatever he may say. So Callen frowned, pressed a finger to his lips and shook his head, hard, his other hand pointing to his ear with the comm. in and Sam narrowed his eyes, but shut his mouth as he nodded slowly and mouthed ‘later’. Callen nodded back not caring that he had just confirmed all of his partner’s suspicions about him and Nell, and they got out of the car to get closer to the warehouse as they saw a group of SUV’s approach in the distant darkness.

“You there, Nell?” Callen whispered as he crouch jogged to cover with clear visibility.

“Always.” Nell replied and Callen didn’t even bother to try and hide his smile now. Sam knew now so why should he hide that he was happy just because his friend seemed less than impressed with the new development.

Happy, huh, ok.

“Johnson near?” He asked as Sam joined him behind some crates and people started exiting the now parked SUV’s and going to stand in front of the warehouse they thought they would.

“Should be entering through the gates in about thirty seconds,” Nell replied as Callen scanned the faces of the men and seeing all of the suspects they’d expected to show up. Hopefully a clean sweep of bad guys was imminent. “Kensi and Deeks have taken the back way and should be taking the same position you’re in at the crates across from you. You’ve got there locations on your phones.”

“Thanks, Nell.” Callen said as he pulled up his teammate’s locations, glad to see their targets surrounded.

“You’re welcome, now go arrest these bad guys and remember ‘Suspect bomb, run from bomb’ or I’ll be so pissed,” Nell said and Callen had to tamp down on a snort as well as ignore the look on Sam’s face that he did not have the time to decipher with Russian mobsters a few feet away and the chance of exploding buildings being high on the list of possibilities.

“I’ll see what I can do.” Callen assured hoping to lessen her worry.

“That’s all I can ask.” Nell sighed.

Twenty minutes later it looked like he was going to have to deal with a pissed off Nell as well as a graze from a bullet, some singed hair and uncomfortable burns. 

And everything had been going so well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooooooo sorry for the wait, lovelies. I have reasons and excuses, good ones too, but I'm just really sorry. I hope you liked it and a big huge thank you to you kudos givers and commenters, you give me warm fuzzies.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callen gets introspective and then looks outside himself.

Callen stood silently as he watched, what he had considered to be, a pretty nice warehouse burn to the ground in front of him; fire fighters trying their damndest to reduce the flames and stopping it from damaging anything else too close by. What made a nice warehouse he wasn’t exactly sure, but he knew that one had been. He’d seen and been in enough of them in his time to assess their qualities, so he was confident in his judgment that that had been one of the better ones. Well, it had been until it had blown the fuck up, with him still inside of it, after he had triggered an explosive by the door and it had come crashing down around him.

And if that wasn’t a metaphor for what his and Nell’s relationship was going through just then, then he really didn’t know what was. Something that had been good and serving a positive purpose until he had gone and messed it all up and now had to watch as others tried to make it right again because he didn’t have the knowhow to do so. Yeah, the burning building in front of him was most definitely a visual representation of that. And normally a situation so blatant in its symmetry and irony would have made him laugh with how on the nose and in his face it was, but not even his slightly macabre sense of humour could find a thing funny about this, because it just wasn’t, at all. 

Ok, he could confess that if it had happened to someone else, say Deeks for example, he would have been able to find the karmic joke in it, but this had happened to him and not the shaggy haired, man boy of a detective, and in turn it meant that Callen had done it to Nell, so it held no wit whatsoever for him.

Callen’s eyes diligently tracked a burning ember floating and dancing its way through the air and sighed long and deep; he’d messed up and he knew it. He winced slightly as his mind replayed the way Nell had said, in clear, severe warning and, very well veiled, exasperated concern: ‘Callen, don’t, just wait a moment’ to him through his comm., because she had know what he was going to do probably before he even had. He had then ignored her worry for him, even though it had caused an obvious twinge in his chest to do so and removed the device from his ear, tucking it in his pocket and had gone all lone wolf into the warehouse for the intel he knew they needed, leaving his team safely away from the high explosives they knew to be inside and Nell and the others back at OSP in the dark. It had been necessary, though, Callen had reasoned to himself as he breached the Russian bolthole; the mobsters had made them, as made obvious by the bullet graze on his bicep and consistent exchange of gunfire, and he couldn’t risk them blowing the building before he had got what was necessary to nail their mob asses and associates to the wall. He knew that his team had the bad guys well in hand before he made his move, as made evident by the criminals lying on the asphalt in varying degrees of injury and consciousness, so he took what he saw as their only opportunity. 

It wasn’t until after he had gotten the incriminating evidence and that the building had blown and he had gotten out with only some minor injuries, all bad guys cuffed and accounted for that he was informed by a disappointed Eric and an angry Sam, that Nell had broken the Cloud encryption she and Eric had been working on before he and Nell had gone on stake out the day before, and that he had risked everything, more than he had thought at the time, for nothing. She already had what was on the hard drives that he nearly got his ass burnt to a crisp to retrieve.

Nell had been conspicuously absent from the conversation and when Callen had asked where she was, resolutely ignoring Sam’s all too knowing look because he was not dealing with that right then, Eric had told him that she was coordinating with the FBI who were going to take the Russian’s so that NCIS could have Johnson and see how far his contacts went in supplying non-friendly’s with Navy weapon shipments. And that she was also getting in contact with bomb disposal to check for any residual explosives, the fire department to put out the fire Callen had caused and safely secure the structure, LAPD to guard and protect the scene and medics to treat and clear everyone involved. Callen had accepted the excuse because what Eric had conveyed was what Nell did whenever interagency and department cooperation was needed during an investigation and let it go, but he knew what was really going on. He had worked with Nell long enough to know that she almost always stayed on comm’s. when she made those calls, just in case she needed information to pass on to another department or a member of their team required her assistance, and the fact that she wasn’t now was significant. Significant meaning that she was pissed or upset at him and he knew that it was his fault for going back on ‘suspect bomb, run from bomb’ and instead doing the exact opposite and going with ‘suspect bomb, run to bomb like a jerk and cause bomb to explode when way too close to the consequences.’

That had been twenty minutes ago, twenty minutes of standing and staring at a burning building because he truly didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t try and sort things out with Nell right then, not only because he wasn’t sure if she’d even answer if he tried to contact her, but also because he wasn’t a complete tool and he knew that that needed to be done face to face. He was an idiot, not a coward; hence the running into a rigged to explode building. He also had nothing to do at the crime scene because everyone had their tasks and were completing them to perfection and as his team were pissed at him he couldn’t even shoot the breeze with them or tease Deeks’ inferiority complex about fire fighters being better looking that cops.

Callen narrowed his eyes slightly as he sensed more than saw or heard movement to the side of him. His ears were still ringing from being a lot too close to an explosion – or rather in an explosion – and the noise from all the people working around him was a hindrance, as was the headache throbbing at the base of his skull and the cloudiness of his vision thanks to all the flying dust and debris all told him that he was suffering from the after effects of his own stupidity, but years of training didn’t leave him completely defenceless. Turning his head to the side slightly, he saw Sam staring at the nearly extinguished fire that had held his attention for so long. Deciding not to invite conversation that could turn into a Sam Hanna Scolding or an in-depth discussion about his maybe-not-any-longer relationship with Nell , Callen looked forward again, not saying a word and waited for his partner to say whatever it was he obviously wanted, knowing he couldn’t truly stop his partner. Sam was his emotional fire fighter in his earlier metaphor, Callen realised and his nose screwed up, not quite sure on how to think about that.

“The FBI took the Russians.” Sam said, still looking forward and Callen smirked, his friend lasted all of thirty seconds before breaking the silence. “Kensi and Deeks are taking Johnson to the boatshed; apparently he’s already talking deal.” Callen just kept looking at the dwindling fire, his gaze lowering to the growing river of water making its way towards him from the hoses as he inclined his head to say that he had heard him. He knew all of this already, though, and Sam knew that he knew. He’d seen Callen shake hands with the FBI lead agent before they drove away with the Russians and he had witnessed Callen giving Kensi and Deeks the order to question Johnson – which they had accepted frostily, because, yeah, pissed at him. Callen also knew what Sam was doing, trying to draw him into talking about something inane to then segue into something more probing and he wasn’t falling for it. Callen wanted to use his own extinguisher before calling in the professionals, he decided fully embracing the metaphor now; it worked for him. It was quiet again for a long few moments when Callen felt the air shift next to him as Sam came to face him, but Callen kept his eyes on the way the light reflected off the water on the ground. “You should let the medics check you out.” Sam said and Callen flicked his eyes to him and raised a brow before looking back to the fire. They both knew that wasn’t going to happen. All he needed to do was shower, have his wounds cleaned, covered, possibly butterfly stitched and then try and sleep off his tinnitus and headache. What he didn’t need was the convalescence in a hospital bed the paramedics would try and enforce because they didn’t know just how many times he had had to deal with nearly get blown up and its aftermath. “Yeah,” Sam sighed, more out of resignation that annoyance, as he scrubbed a hand down his face and looked away from his mule-headed partner, “I thought not.” And Callen smirked again. His friend did know him. Well, if the way he opened his mouth and shut it again was anything to go by; obviously wanting to say something but think better of it and Callen knew it had to be about Nell. “We should get back to OSP, Hetty wants to debrief and have the paperwork done before we can have the weekend.” With that Sam held out his hand and Callen, grateful that Sam hadn’t asked about his recently rocky love life, fished in his pocket for his keys, knowing that he couldn’t drive when he couldn’t hear right, move his arm without pain and his vision was a little blurry, before he froze in his search when his fingertips hit something that made his blood run cold. Sam’s eyes widened and he took a half a step forward, his outstretched hand now held as if to steady his friend. “You ok, man? You went real pale just then.” He asked worriedly. Callen didn’t respond, just pulled his fist from his pocket and put it between them, slowly turning it palm up and unfurling his fingers, one by one, before revealing what had made him ashen when an explosion hadn’t. Sam looked down and let out a barked laugh as he saw what it was and his hand retracted from its hovering position at Callen’s shoulder, to his own stomach as he tried to contain his cackle. “Oh, man, if you thought Hetty wasn’t going to have your ass before for being a complete fool, she sure is now.” Sam chuckled as he motioned to the crushed-to-bits ear piece in Callen’s palm. 

Callen pouted, and yes it was a definite pout this time, he could admit it, closed his eyes and let his chin fall to his chest in defeat as he huffed a sigh of defeat for the day. An annoyed team and pissed Nell he could have probably handled but, add to it, a vengeful Hetty for being reckless and destroying some of her tech because of said recklessness was one too many fronts to defend, even for him. Especially as Hetty was the closest thing to a ninja as a person could get and you never quite knew what angle she would come at you from. Deciding there wasn’t much he could really do about any of the forthcoming storms he had to weather standing in the middle of a crime scene, he just shoved the remnants of the comm. back into his pocket, tugged his keys free and chucked them into Sam’s chest who caught them handily, before turning on his heel towards his car, knowing that Sam would follow.

Sam remotely unlocked the car doors and Callen got into the passenger seat with a pained groan, his muscles protesting being flung across a room by knotting and tightening with every move he made to get comfortable. Looking out of the passenger window, Callen saw that Sam had been pulled aside by an LAPD uniform so he took his time putting his sidearm, phone, badge and ruined comm. into the glove compartment not wanting to jostle himself unnecessarily, stopping suddenly when he saw the Tootsie Pop Nell had won, mocking him from where it lay next to the bag of its comrades; reminding him of much happier times not five hours ago, before he had screwed everything up by just being him. 

This, this was why he avoided being with people in law enforcement, especially those he worked with. It was only the first case of their relationship and problems had already popped up and the funny thing was that that the outcome of his actions, no matter how brash and inconsiderate they may have been, weren’t even the worst of outcomes possible; he was still conscious, after all, still alive. All he had to do was look at Kensi and Deeks to know his previously held philosophy had been correct and that starting anything with Nell would just spell disaster; it was bound to be messy and fraught with conflict because of the stresses of the job and those of sustaining a meaningful attachment and relationship to someone you already liked and cared for, both personally and professionally, before involving openly romantic intentions. 

He had had known it was probably not the best idea to involve himself with Nell beyond the relationship they already had. He’d always been careful to keep a slight distance between them because he had found her intriguing and beguiling from the moment he had met her and he knew that that could be trouble from previous experience. Exceptionally smart women were an extreme turn on for him and Nell Jones was no exception to that, especially in conjunction with her delicately beautiful features and diminutive size making her all the more enticing. But being a genius and being attractive apart , she had also been young, too young in his mind, closer to twenty than he was thirty and what with all of his emotional baggage, he wasn’t going to foist that on one so innocent and untouched, so he’d forced it down and away and gotten on with things, looking beyond initial attraction and finding himself impressed with her work ethic and amused by her antics during difficult cases that lightened his mood, as he settled them into an easy camaraderie, with her up in ops and him in the field; Nell being the trusted voice in his ear and the guiding hand to safety in dangerous terrain. 

But then she had begun field work and partnering with him more often when Sam was unavailable or her talents were required and the neat little tech box he had put her in expanded and the initial attraction came back, but this time stronger, because she was older now; Still young and relatively innocent in comparison to himself and even his teammates, but not as naive or inexperienced as she had once been and that mattered to him. He not tarnishing her with his darkness mattered. Nell also knew him more now, knew his baggage, as much as there was to know, as much as himself and he knew her better in return from the years they’d worked together and Callen liked what he knew about Nell Jones; really liked it. So he had subtlety flirted with her over a period of months and had let the growing attraction he’d felt for her come to the fore, just to see if she would be receptive and maybe complicit and when she was, he knew he was done for. Bad idea or not, he was going for it. 

So, yeah, even though he had known it was probably not for the best for anyone to let his simmering interest in her known so explicitly by brushing her hair from her face and had beyond a shadow of a doubt known it when he’d kissed her, he didn’t care. He had been feeling brave and maybe a little recklessly selfish, from the weeks of easy teasing and close proximity and Nell had been Nell, all wide, beautiful eyes, sarcastic and pouty mouthed, whip smart brain, openly honest face and oh so soft skin; he hadn’t been able to stop himself, it had all become too much for him to resist.

He wasn’t exactly surprised when she had kissed him back, he hadn’t doubted the signals he’d been reading, it was part of his job to notice things like that after all, but he hadn’t anticipated just how enthusiastic she was going to be about it, about him, that she would be just as interested as he was in pursuing something. And that had been his downfall, because in that moment of realisation that she wanted him just as badly, no matter the consequence, he had convinced himself that because it felt right, that it was right and not a bad call of judgement on both sides for so many reasons, personally and professionally. He allowed the way she smiled up at him after a smartass comment to disarm him. Had let the way she sighed happily, a soft contented sound, against his mouth when he kissed her to melt away all of his well founded concerns because of the way she made his heart trip in his chest and the blood heat in his veins when her body moulded against his as she welcomed him into her body. And the way his skin hummed with relaxation when her breath ghosted his chest in the sanctuary of her bed. And although he knew that it wasn’t his most thought through decision and that he knew better than to allow his heart to overrule his head, he couldn’t find it in himself to regret it, any of it. To regret Nell was wrong, unfathomable to him, and he knew if he could go back twelve hours to that stake out, to that moment when he had turned to face her in his seat, his decision made to make his intentions clear and change it, he wouldn’t, he would do everything exactly the same. So he welcomed the fall and could only hope Nell did too, because he wanted her, needed her, all of her; even her well deserved anger and frustration at him and his jerk behaviour. 

He’d only just gotten her and he wanted to keep her; fury and all. He knew how he sounded, like a caveman asshole, and no doubt would be in for a long and detailed telling off about female agency and independence from Kensi, Hetty and Nell herself if he ever revealed his inner musings, but it was the truth. He knew that she wasn't an object or toy for him to possess; Nell was strong and self sufficient, it was one of the many things he liked about her but Callen was having a hard time reining himself in. Callen very rarely allowed himself to want things in fear of not getting them or having them taken away, so when he had what he desired, he held on. And he would hold on now, he would hold on for what they already had in such a short time and the so much more that was to come from being with Nell Jones. He wanted to share her bed, her space, her heart and he wanted the same for her with him. The small bursts of domesticity had warmed his heart, sharing a bathroom and a bed, the fresh coffee, the pet names, kisses goodbye and emoticon filled texts. The physical intimacy was intoxicating and addicting, from the smallest brushes of tongue to the firm grips of hands; the mark on his neck turning melancholic if that was the only thing he got from what they had had. He wanted it all, everything, more, so much more, with her, he just didn’t know how now that he’d screwed up; it’s not like he had a lot of experience in getting people to stay. Getting them to leave him he had down, having them stick around, not so much. 

Callen knew that Nell had said she wanted a relationship with him and as she was a bona fide genius he had to believe she had anticipated something like this happening and had still wanted to be with him, but the self-conscious voice of a man who had been abandoned and forgotten nearly his entire life was too loud to ignore and was very close to convincing him that Nell would cut her losses when anticipation became an actuality and she realised the reward/effort disparity was too large for her continued participation in their could-be-relationship.

Callen nudged the sucker with his index finger and frowned before quickly looking away from the Tootsie Pop he had zoned out on and shoved the compartment closed when he heard Sam open the driver’s side door and get into the car, not wanting to be seen having an existential crisis over a piece of hard candy because, hell, he was already weird enough without that. Callen reached for and buckled his seatbelt as Sam did the same and started the car for the journey back to ops, the vehicle pulling out of the warehouse district as Callen shut his eyes and lent his head back against his seat, hoping that Sam would leave him be so he could think. It wouldn’t take too long in early Saturday morning traffic to get to OSP and he needed a plan of action before he did. Facing off against someone like Nell without one was not smart and despite evidence to the contrary from that night, Callen was an intelligent man. 

But after ten long and not very fruitful minutes of mental acrobatics trying to find a solution to his problem, Callen was starting to doubt the intelligence he thought he possessed. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his back protesting being stationary for so long as he opened his eyes and met Sam’s in the rear-view mirror for a moment and sighed as he looked away. His lack of experience in relationships, and specifically how to maintain one, was severely biting him in the ass, but sitting next to him was a font of knowledge in the form of a bear of a man with a soft heart, who had firsthand knowledge in just that area. Callen knew that his partner was more than willing to share, eager to, even, and Callen was smart enough to use whatever resources were available to him.

Sitting up a little straighter and only wincing a little, Callen decided to bite the bullet and turned to stare at Sam’s profile and said in a low, rough voice. “I need your help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ew, long wait. Soooo sorry. shouldn't be long for the next, so look forward to Callen and sam bro-talk and Nell Callen confrontation.
> 
> oh and I love you all for the kudos and comments. You're super sweethearts.

**Author's Note:**

> Kinda got away from me but I love me some Nallen. They are the best.
> 
> May do some one-shots, and expand on the 'verse, or do the unconnected. Not sure. If you have any ideas hit up the comments.
> 
> Title by: Isaac Bashevis Singer


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